The invention relates to a process for preparing a yarn from polyvinyl alcohol having a viscosity average molecular weight M.sub.v in the range of 10.sup.5 to 4.times.10.sup.5. In this process, a solution of polyvinyl alcohol in an organic solvent is extruded from a spinneret into a coagulation bath through an air gap or inert gas gap and then drawn. Such a process has been proposed in European Patent Application No. 146,084 (EP No. 146,084).
Although the examples demonstrate that strong yarns can be obtained, applicants have been unable to prepare yarns of comparable properties using the data given in EP No. 146,084. In addition, the low concentrations of polyvinyl alcohol used in the examples of EP No. 146,084 make the process even less economically attractive.